Ball feeding system including ball delivery device and ball feeding device, and ball delivery control method

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a ball feeding system including a ball delivery device and a ball feeding device, and a ball feeding control method. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a ball feeding system includes: a ball accommodation part configured to accommodate one or more balls; ball delivery arms each configured to deliver any one of the one or more balls, accommodated in the ball accommodation part, to the pitching machine; a ball delivery post configured to extend vertically from one side surface of the ball accommodation part, and to guide the ball delivery arms through their movement; and a mixing arm configured to move along the ball delivery post at predetermined intervals from the ball delivery arms, and to change the locations of the one or more balls in the ball accommodation part by applying physical force to the one or more balls.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a ball feeding system including a balldelivery device and a ball feeding device, and a ball delivery controlmethod; and more specifically to a ball feeding system which includes amixing arm in order to mix balls accommodated in a ball accommodationpart so that one or more balls accommodated in a ball accommodation partare sequentially placed on ball delivery arms configured to deliverballs, and which detects the number of balls loaded into a ball loadingpart, i.e., a line through which balls are sequentially fed to apitching machine, and then controls the feeding of balls.

BACKGROUND ART

Recently, as interest in baseball has increased, the number of baseballpractice fields where baseball can be practiced has increased.

Such baseball practice fields are generally used in such a manner thatwhen a pitching machine configured to pitch balls pitches a ball, a userstanding in a batter's box hits the ball with a bat.

In this case, a ball feeding device configured to continuously feedballs is commonly attached to the pitching machine, and the ball feedingdevice feeds balls from a ball accommodation part, in which balls havebeen collected, to the pitching machine by sequentially moving theballs.

In this case, the ball accommodation part in which balls have beencollected is generally formed in such a manner that the inner wall ofthe ball accommodation part is inclined to have a predetermined slopearound a specific point so that balls can be moved along the inner wallof the ball accommodation part and placed on ball delivery arms bygravity.

However, in the case where multiple balls are stacked on top of oneanother or balls are stuck on a boundary portion where the slope of theinner wall of the ball accommodation part changes, the balls cannot bemoved along the inner wall of the ball accommodation part, and thus theballs cannot be placed on the ball delivery arms, with the result that aproblem occurs in that balls cannot be fed to the pitching machine.

Furthermore, even in the case where, since the speed at which a ball isfed is higher or lower than the speed at which the pitching machinepitches a ball, an appropriate number of balls cannot be fed to thepitching machine and thus the ball loading part is filled with balls, aproblem occurs in that a ball is fed even in the case and thus a balldelivery device is damaged.

In connection with this, the prior art document “Korean PatentApplication Publication No. 10-1991-0009302” relates to an automaticgolf ball feeding apparatus. The patent publication discloses only anapparatus configured to arrange balls, fed from a stoker configured toaccommodate a plurality of golf balls, along a path in a line so thatthe balls can be freely shaken and to enable golf balls to be dischargedvia an exit one by one, thereby delivering the balls. The patentpublication does not propose an apparatus capable of arranging balls ina ball accommodation part by means of a mixing arm and capable ofdetecting the number of balls waiting for pitching in a pitching machineand controlling the operation of a ball delivery device (or ball feedingdevice).

Accordingly, there is a need for technology capable of overcoming theabove-described problems.

Meanwhile, the above-described background technology corresponds totechnical information which has been possessed by the present inventorin order to contrive the present invention or which has been acquired inthe process of contriving the present invention, and can not necessarilybe regarded as a well-known technology which had been known to thepublic prior to the filing of the present invention.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide amixing arm configured to prevent balls from being stuck on a ballaccommodation part so that balls accommodated in the ball accommodationpart configured to accommodate balls can be arranged and sequentiallyplaced on ball delivery arms.

Furthermore, an object of an embodiment of the present invention is toprovide a ball feeding system which can detect the number of loadedballs in a ball feeding device and can stop the operation of a balldelivery device (or ball feeding device) when a number of balls equal toor larger than a predetermined number are loaded.

Technical Solution

As a technical solution for accomplishing the above objects, accordingto a first aspect of the present invention, there may be provided a ballfeeding system for feeding balls to a pitching machine configured topitch balls, the ball feeding system including: a ball accommodationpart configured to accommodate one or more balls; ball delivery armseach configured to deliver any one of the one or more balls,accommodated in the ball accommodation part, to the pitching machine; aball delivery post configured to extend vertically from one side surfaceof the ball accommodation part, and to guide the ball delivery armsthrough their movement; and a mixing arm configured to move along theball delivery post at predetermined intervals from the ball deliveryarms, and to change the locations of the one or more balls in the ballaccommodation part by applying physical force to the one or more ballsaccommodated in the ball accommodation part.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there may beprovided a ball feeding system for feeding balls to a pitching machineconfigured to pitch balls, the ball feeding system including: a ballintroduction part configured such that delivered balls are introducedthereinto; a ball loading part configured such that the balls introducedvia the ball introduction part are sequentially loaded thereinto; and aball sensor part including one or more sensors configured to detect theballs loaded into the ball loading part.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there may beprovided a method by which a ball feeding system for feeding balls to apitching machine configured to pitch balls controls the feeding ofballs, the method including: delivering balls from a ball accommodationpart, in which one or more balls are accommodated, via ball deliveryarms configured to deliver balls; loading a number of balls, equal to orlarger than a predetermined number, selected from the balls delivered bythe ball delivery arms; and controlling the delivery of the balls viathe ball delivery arms based on the number of loaded balls.

Advantageous Effects

According to any one of the above-described technical solutions of thepresent invention, an embodiment of the present invention is configuredto change the locations of balls accommodated in the ball accommodationpart by means of the mixing arm configured to mix balls in the ballaccommodation part, thereby enabling the balls to be sequentially placedon the ball delivery arms.

Furthermore, according to any one of the above-described technicalsolutions of the present invention, balls can be desirably fed to apitching machine by preventing balls from being stuck via the mixingarm, thereby enabling the pitching machine to be stably driven.

Furthermore, according to any one of the above-described technicalsolutions of the present invention, there is provided the ball feedingsystem configured to detect the number of balls accommodated in the ballfeeding device and to stop the operation of the ball delivery device (orball feeding device) when a number of balls equal to or larger than apredetermined number have been loaded, thereby preventing balls fromoverflowing.

Furthermore, according to any one of the above-described technicalsolutions of the present invention, the feeding of a ball can be stoppedwhen a ball is not projected by a pitching machine and the ball loadingpart is filled with balls, thereby preventing the ball delivery devicefrom being damaged.

The effects which can be acquired by the present invention are notlimited to the above-described effects, and other effects which have notbeen described will be apparently understood by those having ordinaryknowledge in the art, to which the present invention pertains, from thefollowing description.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view showing an example in which a ball feeding systemincluding a ball delivery device and a ball feeding device according toan embodiment of the present invention is installed.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the configuration of the ball delivery deviceshown in FIG. 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a mixing arm, which is a componentof the ball delivery device according to the embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the mixing arm, which is a component ofthe ball delivery device according to the embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a side view showing the mixing arm, which is a component ofthe ball delivery device according to the embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a view showing the operation of the ball delivery deviceaccording to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a view showing the ball feeding device according to theembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a view showing a state in which the side casing of the ballsensor part of the ball feeding device has been removed according to theembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a view showing a state in which balls have been loaded ontothe ball sensor part of the ball feeding device according to theembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a method by which a ball feeding systemcontrols the feeding of balls according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

MODE FOR INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below withreference to the accompanying drawings in order to enable those havingordinary knowledge in the art to which the present invention pertains toeasily practice the present invention. However, the present inventionmay be implemented in different forms, and is not limited to embodimentsdescribed herein. Furthermore, in order to clearly illustrate thepresent invention in the drawings, components and portions unrelated tothe following description will be omitted. Throughout the specification,similar reference symbols will be assigned to similar components.

Throughout the specification and the claims, when one component isdescribed as being “connected” to another component, the one componentmay be “directly connected” to the other component or “electricallyconnected” to the other component through a third component.Furthermore, when any portion is described as including any component,this does not mean that the portion does not exclude another componentbut means that the portion may further include another component, unlessexplicitly described to the contrary.

The present invention will be described in detail below with referenceto the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing an example in which a ball feeding systemincluding a ball delivery device and a ball feeding device according toan embodiment of the present invention is installed.

A ball feeding apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 may be configured such thatballs are sequentially delivered by a ball delivery device 10, the ballsare be introduced into a ball feeding device 20 configured to feed ballsto a pitching machine, and the operation of the ball delivery device 10is controlled based on the number of balls introduced into the ballfeeding device 20 and loaded in a line.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ball delivery device 10 may include a ballaccommodation part 11 configured to accommodate one or more balls.

The ball accommodation part 11 may be formed in an empty pyramid shapehaving a closed curve-shaped circumference in order to accommodateballs, i.e., a shape the length of the circumference of which becomesnarrow in a direction from the upper end thereof to the lower endthereof, preferably a quadrangular pyramid shape.

Furthermore, the ball delivery device 10 may include a ball deliverypost 12, i.e., a delivery post formed vertically from a support surfaceto deliver balls vertically from the ball accommodation part 11.

In this case, fixed pulleys may be provided at the upper and lower endsof the ball delivery post 12, a chain 14 may be closely engaged with thefixed pulleys, and a drive motor (not shown) may be provided on the balldelivery post 12 in order to move the chain 14. Preferably, the drivemotor may be provided at the lower end of the ball delivery post 12.

Furthermore, the ball delivery device 10 may include ball delivery arms13 each formed in a shape capable of fastening a ball in order to holdand deliver a ball in the ball accommodation part 11 and each configuredto deliver a ball along the ball delivery post 12.

The ball delivery arms 13 may be coupled with the chain 14, and may bemoved upward and downward along the ball delivery post 12 by the chain14 which is moved by the drive motor (not shown) of the ball deliverypost 12.

Furthermore, the ball delivery device 10 may include mixing arms 15configured to be coupled with the chain 14 at predetermined intervalswith the ball delivery arms 13, to be moved upward and downward alongthe ball delivery post 12, and to mix balls accommodated in the ballaccommodation part 11.

Furthermore, the ball feeding device 20 configured to receive ballsdelivered by the ball delivery device 10 may include a ball introductionpart 21 configured such that balls delivered by the ball delivery device10 are introduced thereinto, and may further include a ball loading part22 connected to the ball introduction part 21 and configured to loadballs so that the balls can be sequentially delivered to the pitchingmachine.

Furthermore, the ball loading part 22 may be formed to have an innerdiameter similar to that of balls so that introduced balls can besequentially loaded in a line, and may be preferably formed in a columnshape. However, the ball loading part 22 is not necessarily limited tothe column shape, but may be formed in a polygonal prism shape thelength of the diagonal line of which is similar to the diameter of ballsso that introduced balls can be sequentially loaded in a line.

In this case, the ball loading part 22 may be made of a freelydeformable material, preferably a plastic material.

Furthermore, the ball feeding device 20 may include a ball sensor part23 configured to detect the number of balls loaded in the ball loadingpart 22. The ball sensor part 23 may include one or more sensors. Thesensors may be located at the lower end portion of the ball loading part22, and may detect loaded balls.

Meanwhile, FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the side of the ball deliverydevice 10, more specifically the ball delivery arms 13 and the mixingarms 15 sequentially arranged along the ball delivery post 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the ball delivery device 10, the ball deliveryarms 13, and the mixing arms 15 may be disposed along a ball deliverypost 12, formed vertically from the support surface, at predeterminedintervals.

In this case, according to an embodiment, the ball delivery arms 13 andthe mixing arms 15 may be alternately disposed, or each mixing arm 15may be disposed after a predetermined number of ball delivery arms 13have been successively disposed.

Furthermore, the ball delivery arms 13 and the mixing arms 15 may belifted vertically from the support surface on one side surface of theball delivery post 12, may reach the upper end of the ball delivery post12, may be moved to the other side surface of the ball delivery post 12,and may be then lowered to the support surface.

The ball delivery post 12 along which the ball delivery arms 13 and themixing arms 15 are lifted through movement may be located on one side ofthe ball accommodation part 11. The lifted ball delivery arms 13 mayhold and deliver balls accommodated in the ball accommodation part 11while passing through a ball delivery point, i.e., a point at which thelifted ball delivery arms 13 pass through the ball accommodation part11.

Furthermore, the mixing arms 15 may pass through the ball accommodationpart 11 while being lifted along with the movement of the ball deliveryarms 13. The mixing arms 15 may apply physical force to ballsaccommodated in the ball accommodation part 11 while passing through theball accommodation part 11, thereby moving the locations of the ballsand thus mixing the balls.

Meanwhile, FIGS. 3 to 5 show, in detail, the mixing arm 15 provided onthe ball delivery device 10 and configured to mix balls accommodated inthe ball accommodation part 11. The mixing arm 15 will be described indetail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 3, the mixing arm 15 is formed in a “T” shape. Themixing arm 15 includes: a mixing plate 151, i.e., a flat member formedto be parallel to the support surface and to be disposed perpendicularto a coupling plate 152 so that it is perpendicular to the extensiondirection of the ball delivery post 12; and a coupling plate 152, i.e.,a flat member configured to be coupled to the chain 14 and to bedisposed parallel to the extension direction of the ball delivery post12.

Furthermore, the mixing arm 15 may include a support plate 153, i.e., aflat member disposed to be perpendicular to one surface of the mixingplate 151 and to be perpendicular to the plane of the coupling plate 152in the direction of an internal angle formed between the mixing plate151 and the coupling plate 152.

The support plate 153 may distribute force applied to the mixing plate151 to the coupling plate 152 or support the mixing plate 151 betweenthe mixing plate 151 and the coupling plate 152, thereby preventing themixing plate 151 from being bent.

Referring to FIG. 4, the mixing plate 151 may be formed in a “T” shape.The coupling portion 400 of the mixing plate 151 which is coupled to thecoupling plate 152 may be formed to have a length equal to the width ofthe ball delivery post 12. The mixing portion 401 of the mixing plate151 extending from the ball delivery post 12 in a directionperpendicular to the extension direction of the ball delivery post 12may be formed to have a width which becomes narrower as it becomes awayfrom the coupling portion 400 in a perpendicular direction.

Although the shape of the mixing portion 401 is preferably a triangularshape, it is not necessarily limited to the triangular shape.

Furthermore, since the mixing arm 15 has the above-described shape,contact areas which come into contact with balls are reduced, so that alarge amount of force is not required when the mixing arm 15 passesbetween balls accommodated in the ball accommodation part 11, and sothat the abrasion of balls attributable to friction with the mixingplate 151 can be minimized.

Furthermore, the mixing plate 151 may be formed to be longer than theball delivery arm 13, and thus a range which can be reached by themixing plate 151 may become wider within the ball accommodation part 11.This enables the ball delivery arm 13 to apply physical force even to aball located outside the ball delivery point, at which a ball is held inorder to deliver the ball, in the ball accommodation part 11, therebyeffectively overcoming a ball catch or jam phenomenon in the ballaccommodation part 11.

Referring to FIG. 5, the support plate 153 may be located on a side onwhich an internal angle is formed by the mixing plate 151 and thecoupling plate 152 so that a bent formed between the mixing plate 151and the coupling plate 152 can be maintained and the mixing plate 151can be supported.

Since the mixing arm 15 passes between balls accommodated in the ballaccommodation part 11 via the support plate 153, force applied to themixing plate 151 can be distributed to the coupling plate 152, and themixing plate 151 can be prevented from being bent.

The ball delivery device 10 can overcome a ball catch or jam phenomenonin the ball accommodation part 11 by using the mixing arm 15 having theabove-described shape. This will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of a situation in which balls aredelivered by means of the ball delivery arm by moving the locations ofballs stuck in the ball accommodation part 11 via the mixing arm 15according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A first situation view 601 shows a situation in which the ball deliveryarm 131 cannot deliver a ball 600 because balls 600 accommodated in theball accommodation part 11 are located outside the ball delivery pointof the ball accommodation part 11.

In other words, in the case where the balls 600 are not moved to theball delivery point located at the lowest point of the ballaccommodation part 11 along the inclined inner wall of the ballaccommodation part 11 and thus the balls 600 are located outside theball delivery point of the ball delivery arm 131 because the balls 600are stopped outside the ball delivery point of the ball accommodationpart 11 due to the surface bents of the balls 60, the balls 600 arestuck on the bent of a boundary portion where the slope of the innerwall of the ball accommodation part 11 changes, or the like, the balls600 cannot be placed on the ball delivery arm 131.

Thereafter, in a second situation view 602, the mixing plate 151 of themixing arm 15 can apply physical force to the balls 600 while the mixingarm 15 located next to the ball delivery arm 131 of the first situationview 601 is passing through the ball delivery point of the ballaccommodation part 11, and thus the ball 600 to which physical force hasbeen applied is moved to the ball delivery point ball of theaccommodation part 11.

In this case, preferably, the length of the mixing plate 151 of themixing arm 15 is formed to extend longer than that of the ball deliveryarms 131 and 132, and thus the region of the ball accommodation part 11through which the mixing arm 15 passes becomes larger than that throughwhich the ball delivery arms 131 and 132 pass.

Thereafter, the ball 600 located at the ball delivery point of the ballaccommodation part 11 can be delivered by the ball delivery arm 132located next to the mixing arm 15.

The locations of the balls accommodated in the ball accommodation part11 are changed by applying physical force to the balls via the mixingarm 15, and thus balls are moved along the inner wall of the ballaccommodation part 11, thereby enabling the ball to be located at theball delivery point of the ball accommodation part 11.

This enables the ball delivery device 10 to successively place balls onthe ball delivery arms 13.

Meanwhile, FIG. 7 is a view showing, in detail, the ball loading part 22configured such that balls delivered by the ball delivery device 10 areintroduced and then loaded into the ball feeding device 20 and the ballsensor part 23 configured to detect the number of loaded balls.

Referring to this drawing, balls introduced into the ball introductionpart 21 of the ball feeding device 20 may be sequentially loaded alongthe ball loading part 22, and the ball sensor part 23 may detect thenumber of balls loaded into the ball loading part 22.

FIGS. 8 to 9 are views showing, in detail, the inside of the ball sensorpart 23 with an outer casing removed therefrom. The ball sensor part 23will be described in detail with reference to this drawing.

The ball sensor part 23 may include one or more sensors 231 configuredto detect balls loaded onto the side surfaces of thereof, preferablythree sensors 231. The sensors 231 may be attached onto the side surfaceof the ball loading part 22.

In this case, the sensors 231 can detect balls which are sequentiallyloaded along the ball loading part 22.

Each of the sensors 231 includes a sensor body and a button configuredto be retracted into the sensor body. The sensor 231 may be abutton-type sensor in which, as pressure is applied to the button by aball loaded into the ball loading part 22, the button is retracted intothe sensor body and thus the ball is detected.

However, the sensors 231 are not necessarily limited to theabove-described button-type sensors, but may be sensors using aninfrared ray, a laser beam, or the like adapted to detect an object,pressure sensors, or the like.

Furthermore, the ball sensor part 23 may include an opening and closingmember 232 configured to control the opening and closing of a path forballs so that balls loaded into the ball loading part 22 can besequentially provided to the pitching machine.

The opening and closing member 232 may include a blocking rod memberconfigured to block the path for balls and an opening and closing membercoupled to the blocking rod member and configured to operate theblocking rod member.

Furthermore, the ball sensor part 23 may include a control unit (notshown) configured to control the operation of the ball delivery device10 based on the number of loaded balls detected via the sensors 231. Thecontrol unit (not shown) may control the operation of the drive motor(not shown) configured to provide power to the chain 14 of the balldelivery device 10.

Meanwhile, FIG. 9 is a view showing an example of a situation in which aball is loaded into the ball loading part 22 and detected by the sensor.

Referring to this drawing, a ball 900 introduced into the ballintroduction part 21 may be moved along the ball loading part 22 andstopped and loaded by the opening and closing member 232, and the loadedball 900 may press the sensor 231 of the ball sensor part 23.

Accordingly, the control unit (not shown) of the ball sensor part 23 maydetect the ball 900 being loaded into the ball loading part 22, and maycontrol the opening and closing member 232 such that the ball 900 isprovided to the pitching machine.

In this case, when a predetermined number of balls 900 are loaded intothe ball loading part 22 and all the sensors 231 a, 231 b and 231 c ofthe ball sensor part 23 detect balls, the control unit (not shown) ofthe ball sensor part 23 may stop the operation of the ball deliverydevice 10.

Preferably, when three balls 900 are loaded into the ball loading part22 and the buttons of the first to third sensors 231 a to 231 c arepressed, the operation of the ball delivery device 10 may be stopped.

Meanwhile, the location of the control unit (not shown) of the ballsensor part 23 is not necessarily limited to the ball sensor part 23,but may be located in the ball delivery device 10. In this case, theball delivery device 10 may detect the number of balls in the ballloading part 22, and may then control the delivery of balls.

In other words, unlike a method in which the ball delivery device 10operates whenever a ball is pitched by the pitching machine, the presentinvention is configured such that balls are loaded into the ball loadingpart 22 and the operation of the ball delivery device 10 is controlledbased on the number of balls. Accordingly, the time it takes for a ballto be delivered and reach the pitching machine is not required, and thusan effect is achieved in that delay time does not occur when a ball ispitched.

Meanwhile, FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the control operation of theball feeding system 100 according to an embodiment of the presentinvention. A method by which the ball feeding system 100 controls thefeeding of a ball will be described with reference to the drawing.

First, the ball feeding system 100 may deliver balls, accommodated inthe ball accommodation part 11, via the ball delivery arms 13 byoperating the ball delivery device 10 at step S1001.

Furthermore, the ball feeding system 100 may sequentially load ballsinto the ball loading part 22 by introducing the balls, delivered by theball delivery arms 13, into the ball introduction part 21 of the ballfeeding device 20 at step S1002.

Thereafter, the ball feeding system 100 may determine whether a numberof balls equal to or larger than a predetermined number have been loadedinto the ball loading part 22 at step S1003.

For example, the ball feeding system 100 may determine whether three ormore balls have been loaded into the ball loading part 22.

Furthermore, when it is determined at step S1003 that a number of ballsequal to or larger than a predetermined number have been loaded, theball feeding system 100 may stop the operation of the ball deliverydevice 10 at step S1004.

Furthermore, the ball feeding system 100 may determine whether theoperation of the pitching machine has been stopped at step S1005, andmay repeat step S1003 until the operation of the pitching machine isstopped.

The ball delivery control method according to the embodiment, which isshown in FIG. 10, includes steps which are processed by the ball feedingsystem 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 in a time series manner. Accordingly,an item which is omitted in the following description but has beendescribed in conjunction with the ball feeding system 100 shown in FIGS.1 to 9 may be also applied to the ball delivery control method accordingto the embodiment shown in FIG. 10.

The ball delivery control method according to the embodiment describedvia FIG. 10 may be implemented in the form of a storage medium includingcomputer-executable instructions, such as a computer-executable programmodule. The computer-readable medium may be any computer-accessibleavailable medium, and includes all volatile and nonvolatile media andseparable and non-separable media. Furthermore, the computer-readablemedium may include all computer storage media and communication media.The computer storage medium includes volatile, nonvolatile, separableand non-separable media that are intended to store information, such ascomputer-readable instructions, a data structure, a program module oranother type of data, and that is implemented using a desired method ortechnology. The communication medium typically includescomputer-readable instructions, a data structure, a program module, orthe data of a modulated data signal such as a carrier, or another typeof transmission mechanism, and includes any information transfer medium.

Furthermore, a ball delivery control method according to an embodimentof the present invention may be implemented as a computer program (or acomputer program product) including computer-executable instructions.The computer program includes programmable machine instructions that areprocessed by a processor, and may be implemented as high-levelprogramming language, object-oriented programming language, assemblylanguage, machine language or the like. Furthermore, the computerprogram may be stored in a tangible computer-readable storage medium(for example, memory, a hard disk, a magnetic medium, an optical medium,a Solid-State Drive (SSD), or the like).

Accordingly, the ball delivery control method according to theembodiment of the present invention may be implemented in such a mannerthat the above-described computer program is executed by a computingdevice. The computing device may include at least a part of a high-speedinterface coupled to a processor, memory, a storage device, and memoryand a high-speed extension port, and a low-speed interface coupled to alow-speed bus and a storage device. These components are coupled to eachother using various buses, and may be mounted on a common mother boardor may be mounted using another appropriate method.

In this case, the processor may process instructions within a computingdevice. These instructions are, for example, instructions that arestored in memory or a storage device in order to display graphicinformation adapted to provide a Graphic User Interface (GUI) onto anexternal input or output device, such as a display coupled to ahigh-speed interface. As another embodiment, a plurality of processorsand/or a plurality of buses may be used along with a plurality of piecesof memory and a plurality of memory forms. Furthermore, the processormay be implemented as a chipset composed of chips including a pluralityof independent analog and/or digital processors.

Furthermore, the memory stores information within a computing device. Asan example, the memory may be composed of a volatile memory unit or aset of volatile memory units. As another example, the memory may becomposed of a nonvolatile memory unit or a set of nonvolatile memoryunits. Furthermore, the memory may be, for example, another type ofcomputer-readable medium, such as a magnetic or optical disk.

Additionally, the storage device may provide a large amount of storagespace to a computing device. The storage device may be acomputer-readable medium or a configuration including such a medium. Thestorage device may include, for example, devices within a Storage AreaNetwork (SAN) or another configuration. The storage device may be afloppy disk device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, a tapedevice, flash memory, another similar semiconductor memory device, or adevice array.

The above description of the present invention is intended merely forthe purpose of illustration. It will be apparent to those havingordinary knowledge in the art to which the present invention pertainsthat the present invention can be easily modified in other specificforms without changing the technical spirit and essential features ofthe present invention. Accordingly, the above-described embodiments areshould be understood as being illustrates and not limitative in everyaspect. For example, each component described as being in a single formmay be practiced in a distributed form and, in the same manner,components described as being in a distributed form may be practiced inan integrated form.

The range of the present invention is defined by the following claims,rather than the detailed description. All variations and modificationsderived from the meaning and scope of the claims and concepts equivalentthereto should be construed as being included in the range of thepresent invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention relates to the ball feeding system including theball delivery device and the ball feeding device, and the ball deliverycontrol method; and more specifically to the ball feeding system whichenables balls to be sequentially placed on the ball delivery armsconfigured to deliver balls in order to sequentially feed balls to apitching machine configured to pitch balls, and which detects the numberof balls and then feeds balls so that balls can be sequentially fed tothe pitching machine. The present invention has industrial applicabilityfor the ball feeding system.

1. A ball feeding system for feeding balls to a pitching machineconfigured to pitch balls, the ball feeding system comprising: a ballaccommodation part configured to accommodate one or more balls; balldelivery arms each configured to deliver any one of the one or moreballs, accommodated in the ball accommodation part, to the pitchingmachine; a ball delivery post configured to extend vertically from oneside surface of the ball accommodation part, and to guide the balldelivery arms through their movement; and a mixing arm configured tomove along the ball delivery post at predetermined intervals from theball delivery arms, and to change locations of the one or more balls inthe ball accommodation part by applying physical force to the one ormore balls accommodated in the ball accommodation part.
 2. The ballfeeding system of claim 1, wherein the mixing arm comprises: a mixingplate configured as a flat member formed in a “T” shape; a couplingplate configured as a flat member disposed and formed to beperpendicular to the mixing plate in parallel with an extensiondirection of the ball delivery post; and a support plate configured as aflat member disposed to be perpendicular to one surface of the mixingplate and be perpendicular to one surface of the coupling plate in adirection of an internal angle formed between the mixing plate and thecoupling plate.
 3. The ball feeding system of claim 2, wherein themixing plate comprises: a coupling portion coupled to the couplingplate; and a mixing portion configured to extend from the ball deliverypost in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the balldelivery post.
 4. The ball feeding system of claim 3, wherein the mixingportion is formed to become narrow in a direction away from the couplingportion.
 5. A ball feeding system for feeding balls to a pitchingmachine configured to pitch balls, the ball feeding system comprising: aball introduction part configured such that balls which are delivered tothe pitching machine are introduced thereinto; a ball loading partconfigured such that the balls introduced via the ball introduction partare sequentially loaded thereinto; and a ball sensor part comprising oneor more sensors configured to detect the balls loaded into the ballloading part.
 6. The ball feeding system of claim 5, wherein the ballsensor part is configured such that the one or more sensors are providedon an inner surface of the ball loading part in a line in an extensiondirection of the ball loading part in order to detect balls loaded intothe ball loading part in a line.
 7. The ball feeding system of claim 6,wherein each of the sensors comprises a sensor body and a buttonconfigured to be retracted into the sensor body, and one of the ballsloaded into the ball loading part is detected in such a manner that thebutton is retracted into the sensor body as pressure is applied to thebutton by the ball.
 8. The ball feeding system of claim 5, wherein theball sensor part comprises a control unit configured to controloperation of a ball delivery device, configured to deliver and introduceballs into the ball introduction part, based on a number of ballsdetected via the one or more sensors.
 9. A method by which a ballfeeding system for feeding balls to a pitching machine configured topitch balls controls feeding of balls, the method comprising: deliveringballs from a ball accommodation part, in which one or more balls areaccommodated, via ball delivery arms configured to deliver balls;loading a number of balls, equal to or larger than a predeterminednumber, selected from the balls delivered by the ball delivery arms; andcontrolling the delivery of the balls via the ball delivery arms basedon a number of loaded balls.